Britney Spears Tops Forbes List Of Top Earning Female Artists

Britney Spears is the top-earning lady in the music industry in 2012 according to Forbes annual rankings.

Forbes reported that the 31-year-old pop star raked in $58 million over the past year on the strength of her latest album, the platinum-selling “Femme Fatale” and subsequent tour. She also buffed her total by several million with endorsements and a line of branded fragrances with Elizabeth Arden. Spears earnings are down from 2010 however, when the singer earned $64 million.

Other contenders for the number one spot included Taylor Swift, who posted a total of $57 million, also bolstered by a monster tour and a new album, “Red” which sold more than 1.2 million units in its first week.

Rihanna placed at number three with $53 million. Like Spears and Swift, Rihanna toured extensively in 2012, posted solid record sales and launched her own scent, as did number four, Lady Gaga, who earned $52 million.

Katy Perry comes in at number five with a paltry $45 million, benefiting from touring and record sales. While she didn’t release a new album this year, she did re-release her 2010 effort “Teenage Dream” and supported it with a tour.

Surprisingly, artists like Madonna didn’t crack the top 5 of the Forbes list, but this is because none of the dates of her MDNA tour fell within the scoring period used by Forbes (May 2011 to May 2012). Despite this, Madonna still earned a respectable $30 million.